Apparatus for treating car wheels



June 23, 1931.- E. A. LAUGHI .IN V 11,

APPARATUS FOR TREATING cm WHEELS Original Filed Au .-2s, 19 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jaw c2022): min/6556.5. l'lnyrflla in, 535m 5a A I fizkiizww y;

June 23,1931. E. A. LAUGHLIN 1,811,204

APPARATUS FOR TREATING CAR WHEELS Original Filed Aug. 26, 92 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Wl llu Il NH min? I l'] I m,

i' i 'i Win/@5565.- Z 1244/" Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELMYR A. LAUGHLIN, OF ROCKVALE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO HIMSELF AND ONE-HALF TO JOSHUA R. H. POTTS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; BESSIE D. LAUGH- LIN ADMINISTBATRIX OF SAID ELMYR A. LAUGHLIN, DECEASED APPARATUS FOR TREATING GAE WHEELS Original application filed August'26, 1926, Serial No. 131,585. Divided and this application filed October 17, 1930. Serial No. 489,352.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for treating car wheels and has for its object the provision of an improved apparatus for this purpose by means of which steel car wheels may be manufactured having tread surfaces especially adapted to withstand the normal wear thereon and interior or body portions especially adapted to withstand the shocks and jars to which they are subjected in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The present application is an improve ment on the invention set forth in my prior Patent No. 1,527,418, dated February 24,

1925, on Method and apparatus for hardening the surfaces of car wheels, and the present application also constitutes a division of my copending application, Serial No. 131,- 585, filed August 26, 1926, entitled Methods and apparatusfor treating car wheels.

The invention consists in the apparatus and the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the preferred form of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view.

The referred form of apparatus illustrated or carrying the invention into eifect comprises a suitable tank or vessel 4 adapted and arranged to contain the quenching fluid and having a wheel rest 5 in the form of a shallow bowl yieldably mounted in one end thereof. The wheel rest 5 is mounted on four depending stems firestingbn springs 7 in hollow posts 8 in said tank whereby said bowl will be biased toward an elevated .and to control the engagement of the same for the purpose of lifting the wheel. Obviously, y riving the ring 14 downwardl on the jaws 12 the wheel will be release and driving the ring upwardly causes engagement of the wheel. The apparatus for lifting and moving the wheel constitutes no part of the present invention, any suitable or desired apparatus being adequate for the purpose.

While the method or process of treating car wheels is covered by the aforesaid par ent application, the ap aratus disclosed herein is employed in the ollowing manner: The wheels to be treated are first rapidly heated to a temperature well above the upper critical range thereof. I prefer to employ a wheel which is composed of steel having a carbon content of from. .35 to, .45 with the usual silicon and manganese content allowable in the plain carbon steels. After the wheel is properly formed, I then heat it rapidly to above the upper critical range, or around 1600 to 1700 F. In us- {ing a carbon content of approximately .25 the wheel is preferably heated to a temperature of around 1800 R, which produces ex cellent results with less liability of water cracking. With said steel I prefer to use water as the uenching fluid, at a temperature of from 0 to 80 F., and to this end the tank 4 is previously filled with such water. A heated wheel is engaged by the lifting mechanism and first immersed in the water in the tank 4 as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. Obviously such immersion subjects the entire exterior surfaces of the wheel, including the tread, adjacent flange surface and throat, to the action of the quenching fluid uniformly and simultaneously and this quenching is preferably continued for such time as will So reduce the temperature of the body that when the internal heat is permitted to diffuse substan tially uniformly the exterior surfaces of the wheel will be reheated to a temperature of from 1200 to 1500 F. Usually a quenching of from 20 to 30 seconds will be long enough to accomplish a general toughening while leaving the interior so hot that when the wheel is withdrawn from the quenching fluid and the interior heat allowed to diffuse, thus reheating the cooled or quenched surfaces, the entire mass is brought to a proper toughening temperature of from 1200 to 1500 F.

During this superficial reheating by an equalization of internal temperatures the wheel is moved in position and rested on or adjusted over the bowl 5 with the rim of the wheel on the gasket or washer 10. When the temperature of the wheel has difi'used as stated above, the wheel is further lowered or released so that its entire weight falls upon the rim of the bowl 5, depressing said bowl until the tread surfaces of the wheel, including the tread, adjacent flange surface and throat, are immersed in the quenching fluid and the rim of the bowl rests upon the tops of the posts 8, as indicated in Fig. 2. The tank 4 is provided with a suitable overflow 16 and a receiving vessel 17 so that the wheel will not be completely immersed in the quenching fluid but only the tread surfaces thereof as described, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, any excess of quenching fluid flowing out in the vessel 17 over the overflow 16. In this way the second quenching is confined to the tread surfaces of the wheel, including the tread, adjacent flange surface and throat, asbestos washer 10 constituting a sufficient seal to prevent the entry of water in any material amount into the bowl 5. It is also to be noted that the intense heat of the wheel rim itself will vaporize any water tending to leak through and thus form a steam seal. It will thus be noted that the quenching fluid is applied to the tread ortion of the wheel which includes not 0 y the actual tread, but the adjacent surface of the wheel flange and the throat, which contact with the rail in use and are subject to excessive wear. Therefore, the phrase tread surfaces in the present application is intended to include the wear surfaces which come in contact with the rail, and these surfaces comprise the tread proper, the adjacent flange surface and the throat. This second quenching is continued preferably for a period of time usually from 5 to 10 minutes or until the body has been sufficiently cooled so that when the interior heat is again difl'used throughout the whole body the temperature of the whole body will have been reduced to a proper drawing temperature usually to around 500 F The wheel is then permitted to cool slowly and will be found to have a tread or wear surface especially adapted to withstand the usual and normal contact with the rails and interior or body composition or structure especially adapted to withstand the shocks and strains to which it is normally subjected in use.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I,-therefore, do not wish to be limited to the recise details of construction set forth,

ut desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for treating car wheels comprising a tank, and a depressible springheld rest in said tank adapted and arranged to be depressed by the weight of the wheel thereon to expose the tread surfaces only of said wheel to fluid in said tank, substantially as described.

2. Apparatus for treating car wheels comprising a tank, a wheel rest in one portion of said tank, depending stems on said wheel rest, hollow posts in said tank receiving said stems, compression springs in said posts under said stems, and overflow for said tank so positioned relatively to said wheel rest and the mountings thereof to maintain a level of fluid in said tank substantially equal to the width of the tread surfaces of a wheel above the point of greatest depression of said wheel rest, and means for the dependent support thereof while immersing a wheel in one portion of said tank and then transferring said wheel to said wheel rest, substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for treating car wheels comprising a tank adapted to contain a quenching fluid, a wheel rest in said tank, resilient supporting means adapted to bias said rest toward a position so elevated as to maintain the wheel engaging portion of said wheel rest above the level of the quenching fluid and adapted to be depressed by a wheel deposited upon said rest to expose the tread surfaces of said wheel to the quenching fluid, substantially as described.

4. Apparatus for treating car wheels comprising a tank adapted to contain a quenching fluid, a wheel rest in said tank, resilient supporting means adapted to bias said rest toward a position so elevated as to maintain the wheel engaging portion of said wheel rest above the level of the quenching fluid and adapted to be depressed by a wheel deposited upon said rest to expose the tread surfaces of said wheel to the quenching fluid, and a sealing washer arranged upon the wheel engaging substantially as escribed.

5. Apparatus for treating car wheels comprising a tank adapted to contain a-quenching fluid, a wheel rest in said tank, resilient supporting means adapted to bias said rest toward a position so elevated as to maintain the wheel engaging portion of said wheel rest above the level of the quenching fluid and adapted to be depressed by a wheel deposited upon said rest to expose the tread surfaces of said wheel to the quenching fluid, and an overflow adapted to limit the upper level of the quenching fluid, substantially as described.

6. Apparatus for treating car wheels comprising a quenching fluid containing tank,

a wheel rest disposed within said tank and provided with a wheel supporting-portion and an imperforate intermediate portion, and resilient means for biasing said wheel supporting portion toward a position above the level of the quenching fluid contained in said tank, said last named means adapted to yield and be depressed under the weight of a wheel deposited upon said wheel supporting portion whereby the tread surfaces of a deposited wheel are immersed in the quenching fluid, substantially as described.

7. Apparatus for treating car wheels com prising a quenching fluid containing tank, a wheel rest disposed within said tank and provided with a wheel supporting portion and an imperforate intermediate portion, resilient means for biasing said wheel supporting portion toward a osition above the level of the quenching flui contained in said tank, said last named means adapted to yield and be depressed under the weight of a wheel deposited upon said wheel supporting portion whereby the tread surfaces of a deposited wheel are immersed in the uenching fluid, and means for restricting t e depressed travel of said wheel rest, substantially as described.

8. Apparatus for treating car wheels comprising a quenching fluid containing tank, a wheel rest disposed within said tank and provided with a wheel supporting portion and an imporforate intermediate portion,

resilient means for biasing said wheel supporting portion toward a position above the level of the quenching fluid contained in said tank, said last named means adapted to yield and be depressed under the weight of a wheel deposited upon said wheel sup porting portion whereby the tread surfaces of a deposited wheel are immersed in the quenching fluid, and a sealing gasket adapted to be interposed between said wheel supporting portion and a wheel deposited thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ELMYR A. LAUGHLIN.

rtion of said wheel rest, 

